Bishop’s Scroll returns to Bodyke

A beautifully hand-painted Address, presented by the priests and people of Bodyke to Bishop Michael Moloney CSSp on the occasion of his consecration as Bishop of Bathurst in May 1958, has been returned to the late bishop’s native parish. The scroll has the signatures of T. Hogan, R. Dalton, J. Scott, F. O’Halloran and P. Wiley who were classmates of the young Michael Moloney in Bodyke N.S. and who were involved in raising funds for the new bishop’s mission in West Africa. Bishop Moloney treasured the scroll and greatly appreciated the support he always got from the people of his native parish.

Following the death of Bishop Moloney in 1991 the scroll was cared for by his sister Mamie Gilmartin and had pride of place in the Gilmartin home while Mamie and her husband Sean were alive. Following Sean’s death in 2012 the contents of their home were dispersed and the Gilmartin family decided that the scroll should be returned to Bodyke. It now hangs in the side-aisle of the Church of the Assumption where Michael Moloney was baptised by Fr John McNamara PP on 12th May 1912.